Detail of
Maris Pacifici, 1595, the first printed map
dedicated to the Pacific, acquired by the Museum in 2008.

History

Although it is one of Australia's newest cultural institutions,
the National Museum of Australia was almost 100 years in the
making. Over the course of the twentieth century, proposals for a
national museum were intermittent, interrupted by wars and
financial crises and stifled by government inaction.

A national inquiry in 1975 (the 'Pigott Report') finally
resulted in the creation of the Museum in 1980 with the passing of
the National Museum of Australia Act. Collecting officially began
with significant collections inherited from Australian Government
collections, including the Australian Institute of Anatomy. A
location was identified at Yarramundi Reach, Canberra.

In December 1996 the building of the Museum was announced as the
key Centenary of Federation project, and Acton Peninsula was chosen
as the site, with funding confirmed in 1997. The National Museum of
Australia opened on 11 March 2001. It is home to the National
Historical Collection and is one of the nation's major cultural
institutions.

The Museum's exhibitions, collections, programs and research
focus on three interrelated themes, specified in the National
Museum of Australia Act 1980. They are:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture

Australia's history and society since 1788

the interaction of people with the environment.

These areas define the Museum's intellectual and conceptual
framework, which is articulated to the public through the themes of
land, nation and people.